Tombstone.
I was walking through town this afternoon and saw another boy and greeted him. His name was Jake and he was eleven. “You live here?” he asked.
“Yeah I live in Bisbee... You ever been there?”
“No.” He shook his head.
“It’s real perty. Lots of stones on the streets and stuff. Where do you live?”
“S-sounds nice.” He gave a small smile and looked down the street, then back to me. “I’m w-w-waiting on my pa. H-he’s gettin a wheel fixed.”
“Who’s your pa?” I asked curiously.
“I d-don’t think you know ’im,” he said as he rubbed the back of his head. “H-he’s a tinker and a m-merchant.”
“Oh okay…” I shifted on my feet. “Well what do you do when you’re wanderin around all alone?”
“N-nothin. J-just wait I guess. O-only everyone here t-tried to put me in the orphanage.” He shrugged and then gave me a smile. “G-guess I talk to p-people like you though.”
“But you got a pa... why would you go to the orphanage?” I asked him, confused.
“They all think I gots n-no pa, and one boy asked if m-my pa were an outlaw.” Jake shrugged. “I’da bust his nose…”
“Yeah, I believe ya. Your pa’s not an outlaw.” I nodded to him.
“N’aw... he’s a t-tinker. Y-you go ter school?”
“eah, sometimes. When I got time to. But sometimes I’m at home doin other stuff with my family ya know? I gotta take care of my little brother too. He’s jusut turned nine.”
“I’s usually on the road. Oh!” Jake dug in his pocket and took out a paper bag, offering some boiled candy in his open palm. “W-want one?”
“What is that? Is it candy?” I asked, looking at it.
Aspen came over and I introduced her to Jake, but they’d already met.
“P-pa sells it. Try one. You’ll like it,” Jake said to me and took some candy for himself.
“How are you?” Aspen asked.
“Well I ain’t sure bout this candy but it’s good to see you. Think I should eat the candy?”
“Well, he put it in his mouth. I reckon if it’s gonna make him sick he wouldn’t,” Aspen said.
“Uh huh I guess it’s safe.” I nodded and held out a hand for the candy.
“How are you Nat?” Aspen asked.
Jake looked between us and then put a piece of orange candy in my hand. “There you g-go.”
“Thanks! That’s yummy!” I said as I ate the candy.
“Is it cinnamon?” Aspen asked.
“You w-want one?” Jake offered to Aspen.
“This one I got is orange!” I said.
“Thanks Jake. Sure, I’ll take one. Yer paw makes it you said?”
“Naw. Sells it.” Jake smiled broadly. “W-we sell all kinds of stuff, b-but mostly fix pots n p-pans.”
Aspen asked if we were doing good and I told her I was just meeting Jake and I said that he had to meet Jeff and Mill. He met Mill last night and said, everyone thought he was an orphan, but he wasn’t ‘cause he had a pa. Aspen headed home and then I said goodbye too and went back to Bisbee.
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